Congress targets Paswan over price rise

New Delhi, Nov. 3 (ANI): The Congress on Tuesday alleged that the reason behind price rise was the complete absence of Union Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister Ram Vilas Paswan from his office.

“90,000 tonnes of pulses have been picked up from hoarders. Surprisingly, 50,000 tonnes of this was found in the BJP-led Maharashtra. What were Fadnavis ji, Modi ji and Arun Jaitley ji doing?” asked Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala.

“The truth is that the Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan ji whose responsibility it is to control prices has not entered his office even for a single day. That is why this is what is happening to the people of this country in this festival season of Diwali,” he added.

Surjewala launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led NDA Government for their claims of controlling prices.

“It is laughable. Arun Jaitley ji and Modi ji must be controlling pulse prices in outer space because in India they are still about Rs. 200 a kg, in India rajma and chana are still at about Rs. 160-180 a kg, cooking oil is at about Rs. 180 a litre, Wheat flour is still Rs. 28 a kg, and sugar is about Rs. 30 a kg,” he said.

“So are they controlling prices in outer space? Then they must come back to earth and come back to this country and start controlling prices,” he added.

An inter-ministerial group headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley recently reviewed the pulse price situation as rates peaked to Rs 187-190 a kilogram in retail markets across the country.

Jaitley said the government has decided to invoke the Rs. 500-crore price stabilisation fund that will be used to pay for transportation, handling, milling and processing – aimed at reducing the cost of imported pulses. (ANI)